March 1561

17 Mar.

124. The King to Bishop Quadra.The bishop of Arras has sent me your letter of the 27th January
and copies of what you had written to him. I had previously
received other copies, and the statement made to the Duchess, my
sister, by Dr. Turner on your behalf respecting English affairs,
which I have not answered hitherto, as so important a matter had
to be deeply considered. The principal points in your letters will
be answered in this after thanking you in the first place for the
care you have taken to learn all that was going on, and inform
the Duchess thereof from whom we ordinarily hear it. We have
been much pained to see how religious affairs are going there,
and the bad course the Queen has taken both in this respect and in
the Scotch business, and also in the matter of her claims against
the French, without a thought of the bad condition of her affairs or
recollecting what so many times ... (fn. 1) declare. You do
well in advising us of everything, and in using what diligence you
can to prevent the evil from going further or producing the troubles
which might be feared, and we desire you to continue to do so,
as your prudence and knowledge of English affairs will show you
to be needful, upholding and encouraging the Catholics all you can,
until God shall open a way by which the evil that has befallen the
country may be radically amended. As I am so deeply concerned
in this and wish so earnestly to find a remedy for the religious
evils of the country, I was glad to read the account you sent of
what had passed between Sidney and you about Lord Robert, and
the benefits which might arise to religion if we were to favour and
protect him in his suit with the Queen, and although, so far as we
can see, the discussion did not rest upon much foundation, and we
do not know what had passed between Lord Robert and you, yet,
as our principal aim is directed to the service of our Lord, the
maintenance of religion and the setilement and pacification of the
country, and as we see that Sidney's proposals tend to this end, and
further bearing in mind that God, if He so wills, can extract good
from great evils, we have decided that the negotiation suggested by
Sidney should be listened to. You will not only listen to him and
willingly enter into the subject when he speaks of it, but try also to
lead the matter on to a more solid basis, as for instance, by bringing
the Queen and Lord Robert into it, and getting in writing
and signed by her whatever the Queen may wish to be proposed to
you. This is necessary, as her words are so little to be depended
upon, and you know by the experience you have had of her that this
is always the course she pursues when she has no intention of
fulfilling what she says, and only wishes to use our authority for
her own designs and intentions. You will therefore be very alert
and cautious in this negotiation, warned by what has been the
result of previous negotiations.When the discussion is in progress it will be well to make them
understand that, in order to gain our good will and obtain our
aid in what they so much desire, it will be necessary that the Queen
should give some signs of what she wants and aims at. Since she
has been Queen she has never yet done anything according to our
advice or for our satisfaction towards the amending of religion, or
the pacification of her kingdom, and what she might now do is to
liberate the prelates and other Catholics she has imprisoned, agree
to send her Ambassadors and Catholic bishops to the Concilio, and
submit herself unconditionally to its decisions. Besides this she
should, pending the resolutions of the Concilio, allow Catholics to
live as they please without coercion or violence, and in view of such
action we should soon see whether she was sincere in this business or
only sought her private ends.When the Queen is sending persons here to treat of the business,
since Sidney says that the present Ambassador is not a man whom
the Queen can trust, you must try to get her to send whoever comes
as ordinary Ambassador to reside here and to recall the present
man, because if this is not done, but ... (fn. 1) persons are sent,
it would be an attempt to interpose and take advantage of our
influence to help her in her objects, and would greatly damage and
deshearten the Catholics and so fail to attain the ends we have in
view, which are to restore religion and liberate the prelates and
other Catholics who are in prison. We think, therefore it will be
best to prevent the formation of a special embassy, if it is intended,
and let an ordinary Ambassador be sent, who can explain and
negotiate.There is only to add that if on opening the discussion they desire
to know whether you are treating with our knowledge and consent,
you must judge if the affair looks solid and promising ; and, in
such case, or if you think necessary in order that they may make
the preparations required to carry their intentions into effect, you
may opportunely tell them that you give ear to them with our
full authority and goodwill.This is the course we think should be followed in the negotiations,
and we leave the manner and form of carrying out our wishes to
your prudence and zeal, which we are sure will enable you to fulfil
the task fittingly. In the conversations you may have with Sidney
and Lord Robert you had better give them to understand that I
have the same good will towards the latter as I ever had, and take
every opportunity you may see to express affection and attachment
to him, so as to forward the affair by this means.Besides the aforegoing . . . (fn. 1) that his Holiness, knowing
of the need of the imprisoned Bishops, wishes to send them some
succour by your hands, and has asked us to instruct you to receive
the money which will be sent for this purpose, and help them without
its being known there that the money comes through you. We
therefore direct you, if any money is sent to you from his Holiness
for this purpose, to receive it and distribute it in conformity with
his orders, and with all due secrecy to avoid unpleasantness, and
I shall be greatly gratified thereat.His Holiness writes us that he has appointed the Abbé Martinengo
to carry the bull of the Concilio to the Queen, and has given him
orders, when he arrives in Flanders, to be governed by the directions
of the bishop of Arras. I have written to the latter not to let him
pass until he sees what progress is being made with Sidney's
negotiations, because if these look promising preparations could
duly be made for giving it (the bull) a better reception, and with
hope of more fruitful result. You will therefore keep the Bishop
well advised of the progress of the negotiations, and he can, in sight
thereof, write to us what steps are to be taken from here, and the
orders to be given respecting the entry into England of the said
Nuncio and the fulfilment of his embassy. Advise me also of
everything that happens in this matter, as we await your reply
with the utmost solicitude.Respecting your remarks about your coming hither, you are so
much required in England, owing to your knowledge of affairs
there, that we shall be glad for you to remain for the present at
a post where you are so useful to us. We shall bear it duly in
mind.—Toledo, 17th March 1561.

25 Mar.

125. Bishop Quadra to the King.
On the 23rd ultimo I wrote to your Majesty that the going of the
earl of Bedford to France was not alone to condole for the King's
death, and endeavour to obtain a ratification of the peace, but also
to try for a close alliance between the heretics there and the Queen.
Since the Earl came back I have learnt that what has been done is
to propose to the Queen-mother and the King's Council that, as
there is a diversity of opinion on religion in England, and various
counsels have been given to the Queen, she begged the French
Queen to send her opinion and advice as to how she should act.
They answered, that nobody's opinion on so clear a matter could be
very needful to one so wise as the Queen, who knew perfectly well
how Christian and Catholic the kingdom of England had always
been, and how obedient to the dictates of the Church. The earl
replied, that the Queen's intention was to end these differences by
sending her theologians to the general Concilio, but that she
thought, in order that the Concilio should be held with all fitting
security and freedom, it was necessary that it should meet on this
side of the mountains ; and if the most Christian King would look
to this and endeavour to have some such fitting place named, the
Queen offered to unite with him and form a firm alliance in order
that the business might be carried through with liberty and
security, and without coercion being resorted to. They answered
this lukewarmly, as before, pointing out that as they had agreed to
Trent as the place of meeting, and your Majesty and the Emperor
had concurred, there was no opportunity now of speaking of any
other place, and on the contrary, they were hastening their Bishops
departure for Trent. This alliance, and the object of it, as I have
already written to your Majesty, were Paget's idea ; the design
being for the Queen to unite with the French with the pretext of
obtaining a good Concilio (which it was likely the French would
concur in, seeing how much they need it,) with the sole end of
gaining credit by the new alliance and intimidating her own
subjects, both Catholic and heretics, and so ensure herself
against disturbances in the country. At the same time they would
be able, up to a certain point, to dispense with your Majesty's
friendship, which appears to them obligatory now, and trammels
them so that they cannot do as they would like in their own
country, seeing the confidence and affection with which the
Catholics here regard your Majesty. I am learning that this
voyage of the Earl has not been without result, as a man has
arrived after him from the duchess of Ferrara, (fn. 2) who has made
herself the chief of the heretics, and, as the Earl himself says, they
expect other gentlemen to visit the Queen and offer their services in
the cause of religion.
Regarding other affairs Robert is very aggrieved and dissatisfied
that the Queen should defer placing matters in your Majesty's hands
and sending a person to Spain to negotiate as he told me at first,
and as he has fallen ill with annoyance the Queen resolved to please
him by taking the following step. She sent Cecil to me to say that
it would be a great service to the Queen and a help to this business
if your Majesty, as soon as possible, would write her a letter saying
that in the interests of the tranquillity and welfare of this country
(which your Majesty desries as much as those of your own kingdom)
your Majesty advises her not to delay her marriage any longer, and
if she could not accept any of the foreign Princes who are her suitors
by reason of her disinclination to marry a person whom she does not
know, then your Majesty thinks she ought to marry a gentleman
of her own country to the satisfaction and on the selection of her
nobles, and your Majesty advises that this should be done at once, and
promises to be a friend to whomever may be chosen for a husband.
Cecil told me this not as from the Queen but as from himself, in the
presence of Sidney who had come to see me just before, I believe in
order that I might tell your Majesty what the Queen sent to say to me.
He (Cecil) said also that this was very important in your Majesty's
interests and in the interests of the friendship between the two
houses, because if these negotiations fell through the Queen might
marry a prince less friendly to your Majesty than Robert would be.
I answered that all this was very well, but I desired to know whether
it was the Queen who sent word for me to write this or whether
it was a discourse of his own ; because this point was most important
if your Majesty was to be persuaded to write, and if it were not
the Queen's own wish I did not know whether your Majesty would
be disposed to give her any more advice, bearing in mind the small
avail of all previous counsel to her. In reply he begged me, seeing
that the Queen was a modest maiden and not inclined to marry, not
to press her to propose these means and expedients herself, which
would make her look like a woman who sought to carry out her
desires and went praying people to help her, but he urged me to get
your Majesty to write. I did not think fit to answer him further,
so as not to seem unwilling to do what he asked me. I turned the
conversation to Sidney, and asked him whether Lord Robert would
be pleased if your Majesty did this service for him. Sidney answered
seriously that he would be grateful for all your Majesty might be
pleased to do for him, and he begged me on his behalf to take up his
cause warmly.
Conversing further on the matter Cecil declared to me the object
of this expedient. He said that the Queen was resolved to do
nothing in the business without the consent and goodwill of her
people, who have the right of controlling the public actions of their
sovereigns, and she did not wish to prejudice this right by marrying
without their consent. She desired your Majesty's letter to give her
an opportunity for calling together some members of the three
estates of the realm and placing before them yours Majesty's
communication with the reasons for coming to a decision, and so
with the accord of these deputies to arrange the marriage with
Robert. The deputies would be three Bishops, six peers, and ten
or twelve deputies of cities, all of them confidants of Robert and
informed of the Queen's wish. This is now being arranged and
they have already ordered to be called together in some provinces
the people who usually have the management of public affairs in
order to form this deputation. The sum of it all is that Cecil and
these heretics wish to keep the Queen bound and subject to their
will and forced to maintain their heresies, and although she sees
that the heretics treat her very badly, especially the preachers, and
that Robert is more disliked by them than by the Catholics, she dares
not go against Cecil's advice because she thinks that both sides
would then rise up against her. Robert is very displeased at all this,
and has used great efforts (persuaded thereto by Sydney) to cause
the Queen to make a stand and free herself from the tyranny of
these people and throw herself entirely on your Majesty's favour.
I do not think, however, that he has been able to prevail upon her,
and as he is faint-hearted and his favour is founded on vanity he
dares not break with the Queen as I understand he has been advised
to do by the earl of Pembroke who is of the same opinion as Sidney,
and says that Robert should ask her either to marry him before Easter
(which she might well do with your Majesty's favour) or give him
leave to go to the wars in your Majesty's service. But he is carrying
on the negotiations as the Queen wishes, although he thinks she is
mistaken, and in the meanwhile he is waiting to see what can be
done by means of your Majesty's reply whilst Cecil is arranging
this deputation as he pleases. I would beg your Majesty to
instruct me how I should act if no reply has been sent to my
last two letters.
As Cecil is entirely pledged to these unhappy heresies, and is the
leader of the business, he has often tried to engage me in the discussion,
in order, no doubt, to discover my views and doubting perhaps
whether I had not made some private arrangements with Robert
or with the Queen herself. I, having no hope of arriving at
anything good through him, have always refused to enter into the
discussion of the matter with him. The other day he asked me
whether it would be well to have some theologians sent here on the
Pope's behalf to confer on the Christian doctrine with these people.
I told him I did not think it a wise expedient or one likely to give
any good result, but rather to cause greater offence and obstinacy,
since in the colleges where there is no one to judge it had never
produced any fruit but had simply multiplied points of dispute. He
afterwards asked me whether I would consent to meet the archbishop
of Canterbury to open negotiations for conciliation. I answered
him yes, if he pleased, and in view of this, which I said in the presence
of Sidney, he again asked me recently what we can do about religious
affairs as the archbishop of Canterbury did not dare to come and
speak with me for fear of being noted as suspicious by the other
bishops. I told him I did not know what to say, but that if he or the
Archbishop or the Queen herself were to ask my opinion (although
I had not charge of spiritual affairs here) I should not fail to tell
them the truth as I understood it. He said the Pope had other cares
and had enough to do in maintaining his pomp in Rome without
caring for the unity of the Church or remedying its ills. This was
said in not too respectful words, and he complained of the style of the
bull of the Concilio and the insulting words which were constantly
being said and written about them as if they were not Christians and
did not believe in God. The end of it was to beg me as a bishop
and minister of so pious a Prince as your Majesty to endeavour to
open a way to some fair understanding, and he urged me to give him
my opinion on the matter. Although I did not wish to speak of it
yet, as Sidney was present and he would be sure to convey it to
Robert and I wanted to avail myself of Sidney, who has been much
scandalised recently at the proceedings of these heretics, nevertheless
I decided to tell Cecil what I thought. I said that if they were in
earnest and really intended to appease themselves and come to a good
union I thought that before beginning to discuss other dogmas of our
faith we should try to agree on those points on which we disagreed
and which are the cause of the schism and division that now exist
between us. After this impediment had been removed we could in all
humility and charity, examine together the other dogmas touching the
truth of our Catholic faith and the knowledge and worship of God.
He asked me what were the articles I wished to be considered before all
others, and I told him those concerning ecclesiastical government and
policy, namely, the office of Pope and Bishops, the authority of
Concilios and the distinction between spiritual and temporal powers.
We discussed this at great length, and at last he said the following
three things to me, I know not in what spirit. First that the
Queen would be willing to send her ambassadors and theologians to
the Concilio even though it were convoked by the Pope on condition
that the meeting was at a place satisfactory to the other Princes,
namely your Majesty, the Emperor, and the king of France. He
then said that she would be willing that the Pope or his legates
should preside in the Concilio in such a way as did not infer that
he was a ruler over it, but only as head or president of it. The third
was that they would be in favour of judging questions of faith,
as well as others, according to the precepts of holy scripture,
concensus of divines, and the declarations of ancient Concilios, He
was very emphatic about these ancient Concilios, saying that he
would only admit the first four. He then said that what I
demanded was evidently to have a judge for matters of faith and
to declare the separation of the temporal and spiritual powers, and
he went on to say that as the English bishops are canonically
ordained they must have seats in the Concilio amongst the others.
I told him that in regard to that, the justice of his claim could
afterwards be considered and then asked him whether, in case the
Concilio fell through (which it well might if the German Protestants
were obstinate in their claims) he thought this reconciliation between
this kingdom and the Catholics could be effected by means of a
national Concilio with the same intervention and presidency of the
Pope's legates. This appeared to him new and startling, and he
said that questions of faith were of such a character that they
should be examined and agreed upon by all, to which I answered
that if this were so they had done wrong here in altering them alone
especially in opposition to the whole ecclesiastical body in the
realm, and if they thought of calming matters, the same authority
they employed to alter the religion would suffice to correct it.
This point therefore remained undetermined, but as regards the
rest he said that he had greatly prejudiced his cause by discussing
it with me as he was ignorant and ill informed and it was only just
that I should hear their theologians on the subject. He said also
that he would repeat to the Queen what had passed with me. I
have not seen him since as I have been, and still am ill, and the
Queen is not well. I do not know what Cecil thinks about it, but I
hear he is going about publicly saying that the Queen wishes to send
representatives to the Concilio, and that the Concilio cannot properly
be judge of questions of faith nor is the Pope, able to preside over
it by right, which was the subject of our discussion.
I also know that he is treating these bishops harshly, and that he
used insulting words to the bishop of Winchester the other day
because he preached against the authority of the Concilios. I hear
that the bishops frequently meet in the archbishop of Canterbury's
house and are drawing up a profession of their faith to send to the
Concilio. Cecil told me that if the Pope wrote to the Queen I should
give him notice to call her Queen of England and defender of the
faith, because if he did not write all her titles she would not receive
the letters.
I do not know what to think of it all, only that these people are
in such a confusion that they confound me as well. Cecil is a very
great heretic, but he is neither foolish nor false and he professes to
treat with me very frankly. He has conceded me these three points
which I consider of the utmost importance, however much he may
twist them to the other side. I see that these Bishops are making
their profession of faith, which is a sign that they wish to do as little
good, as the duke of Wurtemburg did nine years ago. The need
of the Queen is great, and it might cause her either to earnestly
humble herself for the sake of safety and to effect this marriage
without danger or to dissemble and try to deceive the people, and
the Catholics particularly, by the news of her intention to return
to the Catholic faith and obtain your Majesty's favour.
Bearing all these things in mind I think there is nothing to be lost
by trying to show her the road to godliness, so that she may enter
it if she have a mind to. If I am mistaken in this I beseech your
Majesty not to attribute it to my carelessness, but to the character
of the business which does not admit of being dealt with strictly
and cautiously like other temporal affairs.
The ratification of peace was requested by the earl of Bedford
from the queen of Scotland, who said that she would ratify it with
pleasure, but that it was necessary to obtain the views of the estates
of the realm, and it has therefore been referred to them. They
are now in session, called together by Noailles, who was instructed
to convoke them for the purpose of laying before them his message
from the King to the effect that they should be tranquil and persevere
in their friendship and alliance with his house.—London, 25th March
1561.